Claire Austin has to be congratulated on opening my eyes to the world of Irises. What a beautiful book; this was a Christmas present too, but the little slips of paper I've inserted to mark Irises I would love to have in my garden will probably give the game away!
Although short lived, there are various species of iris that will flower from early to very late in the season and they don't just come in mauve or purple, but a rainbow of colour and this book will open your eyes to the world of Irises. I've used it in conjunction with the RHS Plantfinder (2007/08) however, please note that quite a few irises are USA bred and may not be obtainable in the UK (however we are talking encyclopedia here) but when you consider the wealth of Irises available to we UK gardeners, you'll probably need a few acres before you need to cross the pond. Beautiful colour plates, discusses the Iris family in detail, bearded, beardless and bulbous iris together with culitvation tips, history etc. Highly recommended. A lovely 'coffee table' book for gardeners and iris lovers the world over.